Over 35,000 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in the United States in 2015. As active transportation is encouraged and active travelers are more vulnerable to serious injury if involed in a motor vehicle traffic crash, it is important to address traffic safety to supportenvironments to walk or ride a bicycle. Traffic crashes carry additional health risks beyond physical injury, as the perception of danger from accidents can deter walking, cycling and other physical activity,1 especially for younger children and the elderly.2 Total pedestrian-involved fatal traffic accidents are normalized by Census block group population to derive a per 1,000 rate. Fatal accidents are tracked by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which publish data annually through the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

DATA DEVELOPMENT

The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) is a nationwide census providing the U.S. DOT NHTSA public yearly data, including address location, regarding fatal injuries suffered in motor vehicle traffic crashes. The FARS data also provides additional supplemental information including the number of persons involved, whether pedestrians or cyclists were involved, the speed of the accident and the cause including whether drunk driving was a factor. To qualify as a FARS case, the crash had to involve a motor vehicle traveling on a roadway customarily open to the public, and must have resulted in the death of a motorist or a non-motorist within 30 days of the crash. The latitude and longitude coordinates for each crash were geocoded and counted by block group.